Waterdrager 1660

Giuseppe Maria Mitelli made this print of a water carrier with etching in the 17th century. The image presents us with an opportunity to consider the social conditions of labor in Italy during that time. Mitelli's image depicts a man, likely from the working class, burdened with the task of carrying water, a vital commodity. Note the man's clothing and tools. These details speak volumes about the economic realities and the social hierarchy of 17th-century Italy. The work was made during a period of economic and social change, where rural populations moved to urban centers to find work. Images like this reflected and shaped perceptions of labor. To fully understand this print, we can turn to archives and records to uncover more about the lives of working-class people in Italy. We can learn how art both reflected and influenced the social structures of its time.